Pair got benefits falsely

Press, 30 November 1978, Page 18

Pair got benefits falsely

Nelson reporter

A man and his wife who were convicted on 27 ■charges of making false statements to the Social Welfare Department in to obtain benefits to a total value of $1994 have been placed on probation for two years by Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M. in the Magistrate's Court at Nelson.

The Magistrate ordered Carol Anne Cotton, aged 35. a housewife, and Neville William Cotton, aged 40, a coach trimmer, to make restitution of $1994 and to pay witnesses’ expenses of $95.

Mrs Cotton was convicted and discharged on a further charge of making a false statement to the department to obtain an emergency benefit. The Magistrate said the Court had been called on to deal with what was essentially a social problem.

If he removed the couple from the community he would be punishing five children for the acts of their parents. It was essential that the family unit which was now stabilised, should be kept together. “For these reasons you will pay full restitution and this will hurt you considerably over the next two years,’’ said the Magistrate. Last month the couple defended the charges. It was alleged then that the husband had left Blenheim to work in Nelson and the two had conspired to obtain emergency welfare benefits on the ground that the husband had deserted the wife. Defence counsel (Mr C. N, Tuohy) said the original separation and application for benefits had arisen out of the desperate plight in which the family had been at that time. "The sitguation was dis-

astrous. The rent was in arrears and an eviction notice had been served on them, the power bill had not been paid and the power was cut off, and furnishings had to be sold to provide food for the family.

“The wife was reduced to 50c in cash at the time the husband left for Nelson. She had four children and she was eight months pregnant with the fifth.”

Mr Tuohy said there had been real difficulty in the marriage at the time. The husband had been drinking heavily, there had been mismanagement of money and their marital relationship had been in a bad state.

The one outstanding feature of the matter was that they had managed to keep the family together. Mr Cotton was now receiving help for his drinking problem and the marriage was more stable.